Edmund Optics

Online in Internet; URL: https://www.light-and-surfaces.fraunhofer.de/en/areas-of-competence/optical-systems-optics-manufacturing.html

To produce optics and optical components, the institutes of the Fraunhofer Group for Light & Surfaces have various processes for shaping and coating technology. The spectrum ranges from ultra-precision processing for the production of metal mirrors, gratings and plastic-based lenses and lens arrays all the way to the replication of optical elements in mass production via injection molding technology and hot embossing processes.

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At its very core, the Fraunhofer Group for Light & Surfaces develops optical systems for a variety of applications in lighting engineering, material analysis as well as in laser and measurement technology. In addition to designing and producing optical components, the group’s institutes can provide the entire process chain for the production of optical systems. They can develop and manufacture customer-specific optical systems, from the prototype to the finished product. In extensive development and test phases, they examine and evaluate these systems up to their serial integration. Furthermore, the institutes in the group have corresponding test benches and stands at their disposal to analyze how well optical systems function.

The group’s optical developments cover not only entire system technology, but also address individual manufacturing steps, such as the production of lenses and mirrors as well as coating technology for different wavelength ranges from X-ray to far infrared. For example, the institutes can manufacture high-precision mirror systems for various applications and wavelength ranges for space missions; they can also develop and characterize them for beamforming and deflecting mirrors for EUV lithography.

In many spectroscopic and photonics applications, it is desirable to work with light that has been polarized in a particular direction. In this article we explore what polarization is, and how it may be obtained from an unpolarized light source.

Some light waves will be parallel to these wires and those electrons will move along the wires instead of passing through to the other side of the filter. Any electrons that are not angled at the same plane as the wires (perpendicular) do not collide and are therefore free to move to the other side.

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What we generally refer to as “light” is more correctly known as ‘electromagnetic radiation’ (often abbreviated as EM radiation). The the main characteristics of electromagnetic radiation are its frequency and wavelength (λ). We broadly classify frequency into types of EM radiation, such as radio waves, microwaves, terahertz, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays. In this sequence, radio waves are radiation with the lowest frequency (and largest wavelength) and gamma rays have the highest frequency (and shortest wavelength).

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The orientation of the electric field plane is known as the “polarization direction” (E). This can be broken down into three basic categories:

Specac provide a range of infrared wire grid polarizers for use in analytical testing across the mid-and-far-infrared spectrum of light. Some of these are compatible with our spectrometer accessories, allowing the user to mount a polarizing filter directly into an accessory or sample cell, further refining their analysis.

For waves with their electric fields perpendicular to the wires, the electrons cannot move far across the wires (remember, the diameter of the wires are much smaller than the wavelength of light). So the perpendicular light passes through un-blocked (save for very small amounts).

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Wire Grid Polarizers are included in the Specac polarizer product range. It consists of an array of fine parallel conductive wires placed perpendicular to the incident beam, with the spacing of the wires being smaller than the wavelength of the light being filtered.

Many interactions of light with matter depend on its polarization. For example, at a reflective interface, components of light whose polarizations are oriented perpendicular to the plane of incidence are reflected more strongly than those oriented parallel to it. At one angle of incidence in particular – Brewster’s Angle – the reflected ray is completely polarized perpendicular to the plane of incidence.

Light that has been polarized is useful because it enables the user to be selective over what part of the electromagnetic spectrum is used (whether for photography, night-vision, coloured lighting or analytical measurement). Of course, this filtering of light can offer the user a finer level of detail for their application, similarly to a sharp knife or a small paint brush.

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EM radiation has an electric and magnetic field component which oscillates in phase perpendicular to each other and to the direction in which the radiation propagates. These two oscillating fields are often visualised as in the diagram above and are continually self-propagating.

To learn more about what spectroscopy can do, check out #SpectroscopySolutions for more insights into the applications XRF and FTIR can fit.

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Controlling reflections is an important application of polarizers. If the specific interactions with the surface are of interest, then the polarizer can be oriented parallel to select only the reflected rays; if the reflections are an unwanted source of measurement noise, the polarizer can be oriented to reduce them.